1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of kitchen appliances and, more particularly, to mounting a decorative glass panel to an appliance door such that the glass panel appears to float relative to the appliance door.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Providing a decorative facade to kitchen appliances is well known in the art. The decorative facade allows the appliance to “tie-in” to overall kitchen décor. The decorative facade can take on a variety of forms from something as simple as a coat of paint to made to order wooden panels that match adjacent cabinetry. In many cases the decorative panel takes the form of a replaceable plastic or metal sheet that is mounted to a door of the appliance with peripheral trim components.
In addition to mounting wood, plastic or metal panels to appliance doors, it is now quite common to employ glass panels. Typically, the glass panel is secured to the appliance through trim pieces in a manner similar to that employed with plastic and metal panels. That is, the trim piece includes a first section that is secured to the appliance door with, for example, a mechanical fastener, and a second section that extends over side and front surfaces of the glass panel. While effective at holding the glass panel on the door, the trim piece visibly detracts from an overall aesthetic appearance of the appliance. More specifically, experience has shown that many consumers like a smooth or seamless appearance to the appliance. In order to obtain such an appearance, manufactures have employed various techniques to secure glass panels to the appliance.
For example, as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0183413, an external decorating member formed from glass is covered on one side with a layer of paint and then installed on a door of the appliance with adhesive. The glass panel is mounted in such a way so that the layer of paint is in continuous, direct contact with a front surface of the door to prevent the layer of paint from being scratched. While this method results in a somewhat seamless appearance, once installed, the glass panel cannot be removed without causing some damage either to the glass panel itself or the door. More importantly, mounting a glass panel in this fashion detracts from the aesthetics provided by glass. That is, the paint and adhesive generally make the glass panel appear identical to a metal panel.
In another example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,458, an glass front panel is secured to an inner glass panel with angled retaining elements and a peripheral seal. The angled retaining elements are secured to both the inner glass panel and the glass front panel with adhesive. The peripheral seal is secured to the glass front panel and to a raised pan border portion of the inner glass panel. While this method also results in a somewhat seamless appearance, once installed, the glass front panel cannot be easily removed. If the glass panel is ever cracked or a different finish is desired, removing the panel from the appliance would prove difficult. Moreover, in order the maintain the peripheral seal, the inner glass panel must be specially molded to incorporate the raised pan border portion and, in a manner similar to that described above, the glass panel appears to be a “part” of the appliance as opposed to “floating” in front of the appliance.
Based on the above, there still exists a need in the art for an enhanced decorative glass panel arrangement for a kitchen appliance. More specifically, there exists a need for a decorative glass panel that can be mounted in such a way so as to provide a seamless appearance, yet also be readily detachable from, and appear to float relative to the appliance.